Classical music joins line-up for this year’s Northampton Music Festival, organisers reveal

Published:07:30Monday 13 April 2015

Share this article

Sign Up To Our Daily Newsletter

Northampton Music Festival will return to the town in June with organisers promising more acts, more stages and a more diverse range of music.

The free festival will also run over three days and for the first time there will be a stage in Guildhall Road.

Festival organiser Jo Burns-Russell, from Northampton Music 365, said: “We’re expanding and extending the range and breadth of music and we’re very keen to bring the festival to the Cultural Quarter.

“The new stage on Guildhall Road will be predominantly be presenting classical music.

“With NN Gallery, the museums and Derngate there, it makes sense for us to have culture within the Cultural Quarter.”

In keeping with previous years, the main stage will be in the Market Square with acts also playing in front of All Saints Church, at the NN Gallery and at ‘busking’ points in Abington Street. There will also be stages for jazz and world music and BBC Introducing stages at locations which will be confirmed in the coming weeks.

Venues in the town will be hosting acts on the Friday night, the Saturday and Sunday.

Organisers have launched a crowd-funding programme to help pay musicians who will be playing.

Mrs Burns-Russell said: “Musicians have value and we want to be able to give something back. There’s the chance to see a hundred bands for free over the weekend and we’re saying, ‘Give us a tenner,’.

“We guarantee the money will only go back to musicians – whether it’s paying artist fees or making sure they get a meal.”

Steve Chown, director of Northampton Music 365, said: “The idea is to fill the town with music all weekend and by expanding the genres, we hope to bring new groups of people to the festival.

“Last year you could walk around one corner and hear one genre drifting towards you then go around another corner and hear another. People were there to enjoy the town and this year it’s going to be bigger and even better.”

Northampton Music Festival will take place from June 19 to June 21. Organisers are still taking applications for bands and venues that want to be involved.

The Northampton Music festival, which is presented in partnership with the Northampton Town Centre BID and Northampton Borough Council. Visit www.northamptonmusicfestival.co.uk